Windows 7 vs. Vista: Should we hold off on buying a new computer?

[Soul Reputation]

I'm helping a friend who's new to computers. She wants to buy a new desktop. I have a question about new OS's that are on the cusp of being released to the mass public, as it pertains to buying a new computer with the paramount goal of the OS operating at top notch effieciency:

All of us know that if you buy a computer today it comes pre-loaded from a factory in China with Vista already installed on it. I don't know what that pre-load circumstance is called. I'll wait for someone to come along and tell us what the proper geek terminology is for that specific circumstance. For now I'll just call that condition 'pre-loaded.'

With the same scenario in mind, if you buy a computer today in September 2009, Windows will let you 'upgrade' to Windows 7 (upgrade online without the CD I think) when Windows releases it to the public in late October 2009.

I've overhead snippets of conversation where people claim that if you do an online upgrade that that type of OS installation is vastly or somewhat inferior to an OS that comes pre-loaded straight from the factory. Is that fact, or fiction? Cause my friend was wondering if she should hold her horses and wait until next month to buy a computer that comes pre-loaded with Windows 7 as opposed to buying one today with Windows Vista. Advantages? Disadvantages? Your thoughts, please.



Thread moved from Software For Windows to Operating Systems.

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon

 

[Czar]

Winxp , good os
Vista, a little better overall
Win7, looove it

 

[A5]

If you and your friend aren't comfortable doing a direct upgrade (it's super easy, but I can see how it'd make one nervous), they should just wait until late in October (sometime after the 22nd) to have it preloaded on the PC. That said, there is essentially no difference between an upgraded PC and a preloaded PC - it's just a matter of whether one of you is willing to do the upgrade.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: A5
If you and your friend aren't comfortable doing a direct upgrade (it's super easy, but I can see how it'd make one nervous), they should just wait until late in October (sometime after the 22nd) to have it preloaded on the PC. That said, there is essentially no difference between an upgraded PC and a preloaded PC - it's just a matter of whether one of you is willing to do the upgrade.

This!

 

[mechBgon]

In my opinion, the "premium" type of Windows installation is the one you do from scratch. I hate having to remove all the useless junk they pre-install on pre-built systems.

On that note, you could consider building a custom system instead of buying a pre-built.